Seasons

The other day I posted a comment on one of my kids FB accounts.
It was a smart-butt comment in which I was being rowdy and silly
and 
a sweet blog friend commented underneath, 
“There’s the old Linny!”
I was taken back.
She had noticed.
And although she was only being sweet
{and that’s all I took it as}
her comment left an impression.
It’s true.
This season in my heart has been long.
I’m not a fan of winter
{okay so I pretty much despise winter}
but it feels like my soul has been in a long painful season of winter.  
My walk with the Lord is beautiful
and He has been my source of strength
and comfort, 
but no matter what,
the season has been so long.
So much loss.
So much heartache.
And then yesterday
my Emma’s 
{and The Gem Foundation’s} 
slipping away from Emma’s loving arms 
and into the loving arms of Jesus.
We had just finished dinner when I heard my cell ringing with
Emma’s ring tone…
in that instant, as I quickly did the time zone math and slid 
the button to the answer position,
I knew something had to be dreadfully wrong.  
It was the middle of the night there.
Panicking I answered, 
“What’s wrong?”
Oh the flood of emotions with her emphatic words,
“It’s Arthur! ……
 Ask people to pray Mom!” 
Oh, how our hearts literally ache to be with her!!  
Instead we are on the other
side of the world from our courageous and brave
missionary daughter
who loves special needs Gems so much that she 
moved far away to where the Lord had long been calling her 
and has diligently worked to open
A couple of weeks ago Emma’s sweet kitty had died.
She was weeping as she told me
and mentioned that she had been weeping all day.
She commented as we talked, 
“Mom, I am so upset about my kitty.
How will I ever do losing one of our Gems?”  

Emma receiving sweet Arthur into her home – The Gem Foundation.
Of course, I couldn’t wait to hold Arthur….
he had stolen the heart of all who knew him
and we saw him often when we Skyped with Emma.
And remember in a post a few weeks back 
I mentioned that all Emma had 
wanted for her
birthday were some clothes for Baby Arthur?
Oh how we mourn sweet Arthur’s loss.
Precious baby boy.
So very loved,
even by those who never held you.
So very much wanted.
So very treasured.
Arthur’s loss on the heels of my precious childhood friend, 
Dave,
who died suddenly after such a courageous battle 
{which he had appeared to be winning} 
while his only child, Denae, battles cancer as well.

Dave and Denae
And just last week my friend Tracie’s son Mattie suddenly passed away.

And only three months ago my friend Jenny went home to be with Jesus
leaving fifteen precious little ones without a mommy.
And five days ago my sweet friend sent me a message.
because she knew I would be awake.
She had been visiting at her parents home with her son
hundreds of miles from where she lives 
and in the night the police had come to her parent’s door.
There had been a terrible accident where her husband
was working and they needed his dental records
because they were certain that the body they found in the fire
was her husband’s.  
Oh the heartache that seems at every turn!!
So what do we do?
Friends, we grieve.
It’s not reality to think that we can flippantly 
‘move along’.
Grief is real.
Loss is painful.
Suddenly heaven takes on a whole new meaning.
And in it all, 
we cling to the hope we have in Christ.
And we minister to those who have
lost the ones they have poured themselves out loving. 
God is faithful.
God is a God of comfort. 
He hears our cries
and
He weeps with us.

And He always keeps His promises. 

I know many of you are in painful seasons…
and I am truly so very sorry.
May God comfort you tenderly,
ministering to each need you have
reminding you how deeply He loves you and yours. 
“Weeping may endure for a night, 
but joy comes in the morning.”
-Psalm 30:5

Believe and trust with me, 
that one day morning will come. 

17 thoughts on “Seasons

  1. What a sweet, ever so timely post. Yesterday was two months from when my mom died. That day at work song "Dancing with the Angels" was playing. Yes, momma is enjoying heaven in her new body. Heaven does take on a new meaning. Loss is hard but we keep reading the promises He gave us. Future promise verses were my mom's favorte. S glad she and dad left a wonderful legacy of knowing Jesus and living their lives that showed proof. Sorry to hear about baby Arthur. My hugs and prayers for your losses of loved ones.

    1. I am so sorry for the passing of your mom. I will be praying for you as the Lord brings you to mind. I pray God continues to minister to your grieving heart. He is faithful and it only makes us long for heaven that much more.

  2. I just wanted to thank you for sharing your heart! I too have been in a time of long winter. I mine began in Feb with the loss of my Auntie Jean. My biggest support since my dad passed in 2002 and my biggest prayer warrior my whole life! I know I am alive because her prayers have shielded and protected me!! Then came a friend who was really like my little brother. John was killed by a drunk driver in March. Then in April, my husband's grand father passed too! I was starting to feel a bit normal again, when in June I was struck hard with the loss of one of my best friends since the age of 12 passed suddenly. She wasn't sick, it just happened suddenly! And on the same day another friend's husband, lost his battle with cancer. Then came Mattie Sam! His death has really hit me the hardest in some ways, because he is only months younger than our own precious special needs kiddo. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love her. That a child not born of my womb would be so completely mine in my heart. It is because of her, that I even learned about Mattie. And his mother has been such a great support as we have begun to navigate raising a kid with special needs, just like her Emma.

    I will keep you in my prayers! Please do the same for me!

    1. Oh you have had so many losses. I am so sorry and I will pray for you as the Lord brings you to mind {and yes, He brings bloggy friends to mind so often!}. May God continue to minister to your soul and remind you of His complete faithfulness and love over you. xo

  3. beautiful. 14 1/2 years ago the Lord called our at the time only child home after a vigilant battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She was a beautiful, amazing, brave, 2 year old little girl who fought for 14 months. God blessed me with Jordyn and I thank HIM for the honor of being her momma for those precious 2 years 1 month and 8 days. He's blessed us 5 more times, and now we're expecting a very unexpected 6 blessing. I do not always understand his ways, why he calls home the ones he does, but I know they're with our Lord and Savior and for that, I'm so grateful. Grief is often ugly, hard, and in the beginning a moment to moment survival. I know that I have an amazing Lord to comfort me, to reassure me that he's walking with me and holding me through my grief.

    1. Oh sweet friend, my eyes well at your loss. I am so very sorry. What a painful road. I am grateful for the Lord's pouring out of love with more treasures. This one thing we know: The Lord is faithful. No matter what. Thank you for sharing your heart. xo

  4. I know that season too well my friend. And spring will be here soon enough. I'm thankful that the season after winter is spring, fresh and new and reborn. praying…

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